Cat Circles: Why Are So Many Cats Irresistibly Drawn To Circles?

You’ve probably heard of Crop Circles but have you heard of Cat Circles?

Cats all over the world are being “trapped” by their owners with common household items such as masking tape, hula-hoops, electronic cords and many other small items placed in the form of a circle.

It all started when Reddit user Admancb posted a photo titled Trick Your Cat With a Circle. He discovered that his cat was drawn to circles. One of his power cords looped around unintentionally forming a circle on the floor. He watched his cat walk over and sit down right in the middle of it. He started wondering if it would work with other things too. So he made a circle with red masking tape and watched, as his cat seemed powerless to resist, walking over and sitting down right in the middle.

It is not known why cats are drawn to circles and when I say circle I use that word loosely. As you can see by the photos many of the circles are not exactly round.

Tips for Cat Circle Testing:

Take any object that you can shape into a circle and make a circle on the floor. Try different sized circles, your cat may like small circles or big circles.

Try other shapes. Cats are unique. Perhaps your cat will feel more compelled to sit in a square or triangle. Be creative.

If your cat is oblivious, you may want to draw your cats attention to the circle so that he or she sees that it is there. Once the cat is aware of the circle be patient, make sure you’re ready to capture the results of your test. Have your phone or camera handy to record the results of your scientific testing and wait.

Note: Felines are highly intelligent. Not every single one is going to take the bait and become trapped by their owner’s Cat Circles whim but most cats seem powerless to resist the circle.

Why are cats drawn to circles?

One possible explanation of the Cat Circles phenomenon could be instincts and their desire for warmth. Experts say when a cat sleeps in a circle they are conserving body heat. A lot of cat beds are circles. Cats could be drawn to circles because the circle subconsciously makes them think they will be warm inside the circle, drawing them in.